31 October 2007

Tonight, we have a trick-or-treat special for you. Buy one, get one free (limit one, excludes XL) from 6 PM to 8 PM for our frozen yogurt.

The November calendar is available in the store and will be posted tomorrow on the blog along with the Thanksgiving order form. The deadline for ordering your thanksgiving pies is only 19 days away!

For the final day of 100 Days of Blogger, the prize is worth 22 dollars. Remember to tell us the elevated amount and to claim the prize by 8 PM this evening. For everyone else who has played with us over the last three months, thank you for making it a success.

We hope that everyone has had a good time participating. We look forward to running the program again next year. For all of those who still have their blogger card, you may trade it in between November 1st and November 7th for an automatic buy one, get one free on the yogurt (limit one free yogurt of equal or lesser value per card). A few of you may have already traded your card in to us. Just let us know and we would be happy to honor this offer for you as well. Thanks for playing! Don't forget to continue to check the blog for yogurt flavors, store updates, calendars, specials, quizzes and more.

I promised baseball talk yesterday, but I did not deliver. So, here it is. Congratulations to the Red Sox on their World Series sweep. The Rockies might just be in a good position for the next few years. A Rod should be called A Fraud from now until his entrance into Cooperstown. Teams might be lined up to deal with him, but the Yankees swear that they are not going to be in the race this time. Also, the Yankees got another Joe to manage, but they lost a classic Joe and Donnie Baseball to the Dodgers in the process. The hot stove league is heating up...

Sometimes, as I look around the news headlines, I see a little glimpse of why other nations don't like us at times. I saw this article today about people dressing up their pets for Halloween. I share a little guilt in this since we have bought a 2 dollar loin hat for our cat. It was a silly use of money, but it was a funny photo opportunity. Nevertheless, you would never find the cat wearing Juicy Couture.

My friend and I finished off a game of Risk that we had started on the PS1 on Sunday. Under pressure form his Ottoman troops marching across Europe, I waved the white flag. I could have made it a pain for both of us by doing a suicide squeeze trough his flank, but it wasn't worth the extra two or three hours of gaming that it would have required. Sometimes, it is better to know when to say congratulations to the person across the aisle than it is to fight tooth and nail against them.

We are down to the final two days of 100 Days of Blogger. Yesterday's winner did not claim their prize, so today's prize is worth 20. We would like to thank all of the players who have kept up with us on the blog. Stay tuned for an announcement tomorrow.

While my wife and I were eating at Topz burgers in Addison last night, it hit me that being a healthy place to eat with great food is just not a strong selling point in America. For some odd reason, we have bought into the theory that healthy equals not good or not as good. Personally, I would rather have a burger from Topz over the Mac or Kings of the world any day. First, I can get a turkey burger. Second, I don't feel run down as my arteries attempt to deal with the massive amounts of fat. Third, I can't get air baked sweet potato fries anywhere else.

It's just funny to watch as people stare into the windows to see what this place is all about. Just like the people last night at Topz, some just look. Every once in a while, we get a combination of the curious and the brave who decide to come in and give us a try. I'm willing to bet that the vast majority of those who give us a try at Sugarless deLite are happy that they did, and I could say the same for Topz and other places with healthier options.

Of course, it all comes down to what people do with the knowledge of a special place. People who spread the word about stores and restaurants ultimately make the difference for those of us in the smaller niche. One of the things that we love about our customers is their willingness to share with their friends. We are proud to offer good choices for many different lifestyles from low carb to Weight Watchers® to general healthy eating.

29 October 2007

Today, you can ship to any of the lower 48 states (UPS ground only) for $6.99. Come into the store and pick out your items, then let us ship for you for the lower rate.

We didn't have a winner this weekend, so the winning number today is worth 18 dollars. Remember that we only have 3 days left of the 100 Days of Blogger.

I got to play Risk last night. This is one of my favorite games of all time, but I haven't gotten a chance to play it in at least 2 years. We played two console versions and three games on the board. I love getting to play it on the board. There is just something about feeling in control when you actually get to roll the dice. Thankfully, I was able to unleash the Australian hoards a few times.

In addition to Risk, I also got to go the the first FC Dallas playoff game with my wife. We had a great time cheering on the Hoops. I was finally able to get my FC Dallas jersey which you probably won't see me were in the store due to the yogurt machines and their tendency to "spit" yogurt on shirts. The tempo of the game was steady until the second half when the Houston Dynamo started to press harder against the Dallas defense. A brillent save in the 87th minute by the FC Dallas goalie gave us the final momentum that we needed to finish strong and defeat Houston. If Dallas can take care of business in Houston next weekend, we might get to see another game this season. I had a lot of fun watching sports with my wife by my side.

I'll save my baseball talk for tomorrow, because I've got a lot of it. However, here is my top 25.

27 October 2007

Tonight, we have our yogurt buy one, get one free from 6 PM to 8 PM (limit one, no XL).

No one claimed yesterday's blogger prize, so the winnings go to 16 dollars today.

Tonight is the first game of the playoffs for the other Dallas football team, FC Dallas. If you haven't made it out to a soccer game this year, then I strongly recommend letting tonight be your first experience. There are still seats available. If you have an interest in going to the game tonight, here is a link for you to check out. At the bottom of the page on the link, you can click on the banner to order tickets. You can actually take a family of four to a playoff game for less than 60 dollars (and you get free parking).

You are intense about kissing but easily distracted.You kiss for attention, power, and passion.It doesn't take a lot for you to want to kiss someone.If you see a kissing opportunity, you always go for it!

Kissing Type: Kissaholic (admit it!)

People See Your Kisses as: Seductive

You Kiss Best With: An Orange Kisser

Stay away from: A Blue Kisser

For our quiz takers: We will switch to a weekly quiz formate next month. Please leave a comment with your quiz results to let me know if you would prefer Wednesday or Saturday for quiz day.

26 October 2007

Parfait Day! All parfaits are $2.99 (regularly $3.69) all day long. Come in and enjoy a wonderful treat that is only 3 Points on Weight Watchers®. These rich, whipped mousses are sure to please.

The blogger prize was not claimed yesterday, so the pot goes to 14 dollars for today's winner.

I have a couple of problems with the Red Soxs. First, their fans are a whinny bunch in general, and they refuse to acknowledge the fact the the Red Soxs over the years, in an effort to beat the Yankees, have become the over paid bunch of mega stars that they have complained about throughout the years. Second, I really like some of their over payed mega stars. Therefore, I find myself torn while following the World Series. I won't to see some of the individuals do well, but I really want the Rockies to win. It is looking less likely that this will happen since some of the individuals are doing too well.

Friday in the News: A map from 1418 could prove that America was discovered not by Columbus but by a man from China. The world and all its continents may have been discovered by a Chinese admiral named Zheng He, whose fleet roamed the oceans between 1405 and 1435. The map, dated 1418, "will revolutionize our thinking about 15th-century world history," says Gunnar Thompson, a student of ancient maps and early explorers. (Brought to you by WWDTM daily calendar.)

Happy Birthday Wishes to Ivan Simon Cary Elwes. Mr. Elwes provides half of the love tandem in the classic movie The Princess Bride, which is one of my favorite movies of all time. He has also appeared in many other films over the years. Additionally, he was the lead voice actor in The Bard's Tale video game and has done other voice acting in several animated productions. He once turned down an offer to join the Royal Shakespeare Company to focus on his movie career.

The English Muffins, pita (both regular and whole wheat), and bagels have arrived. We have the following bagels available: Blueberry, Sweet Wheat, Cinnamon, Onion, White and the Perfect 10.

We've gotten in our shipment of Maple Syrup! The shelves are fully stocked again with our wonderful Country Maple Syrup.

Yesterday's winner didn't claim their prize, so today we add the bonus to bring the prize total to 12 dollars.

My wife and I joined Netflix on Sunday with a one free month trial offer. We fully intend to cancel after the one month is over, but there was a compelling reason to join: Veronica Mars Season 3. With its release on DVD on the 24th, we will finally be able to see the final season of this great show. Since both of us are a little nervous about the quality of the third season and neither of us wanted to spend 40 bucks on a season that we didn't like, Netflix seemed like a good solution.

Since Veronica Mars did not release until Tuesday, we got a first batch of three movies: 300, X-Men 3, and Blades of Glory. I've already managed to watch the first two and have sent them happily back to Netflix to trigger the release of the first two discs of season 3. I believe that we will watch Blades of Glory on Friday if there is not a football game at TCA.

24 October 2007

Teacher Day! Show us your teacher ID and get a small yogurt for only 99 cents all day long.

We had a winner yesterday! The blogger prize resets to ten dollars today.

One of the things that we forget about too often in life, but particularly around the holidays, is that life is unique. It something worth enjoying rather than getting so caught up in everything that is going on around us and allowing that to drown out the beauty of life. With that being said, I thought I would share what was in the inbox at work today. A wonderful Message by George Carlin:

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways , but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete...

Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.

Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.

Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.

Remember, to say, 'I love you' to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.

Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.

Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

23 October 2007

Secret Word Day! Tell us the secret word to get a free small yogurt or upgrade your yogurt and get a credit for a free small (limit one per person). Today's secret word: Orlando

No one claimed yesterday's blogger prize, so the pot today is worth 18 dollars. We've only got 6 days left to play after today.

Looking at the news paper sure makes me glad that I'm currently living in Dallas, Texas. Between the forest fires in California and the massive drought in Georgia and the Southeast, Texas is looking like a pretty nice place to live. In the midst of all of the weird weather everywhere else, we got a rainy year with a mild summer and what looks like a cool second half of fall. While that can all change quickly, I'll take what we've got and be happy. Besides, today is beautiful.

Speaking of cooler weather, my father-in-law knows me all too well. Last night on a message that he left with my wife, he reminded her to grab an extra blanket or two for the bed because "I know that Brad won't run the heat." I really don't like to run the heat and it will be one of the bigger adjustments for me as we go through our first winter together. Traditionally, I would keep the apartment at 61 during the day and 63 when I am at home. While I slept, I would let it get down to 55. So, having the heat running at 65 or 67 will be an interesting change.

During the cool but not cold weeks, we'll enjoy the energy savings by leaving the AC/Heat off. On of my favorite things is getting a low (40 bucks or less) energy bill. I don't know why, but it always brings a smile to my face.

Today's Winning Blogger Number: 28

Bonus points if anyone can leave a comment telling me where the title of today's blog comes from. (Double bonus if you don't have to use Google or some other search engine.)

22 October 2007

Today, you can ship to any of the lower 48 states (UPS ground only) for $6.99. Come into the store and pick out your items, then let us ship for you for the lower rate.

It looks like the prize was not claimed on Saturday, so the prize amount goes to 16 dollars for today's winner.

After a beautiful day yesterday, the weather has changed to bring us our first dose of fall. We're going to be on the cooler side for the next few days, but today is the coldest of the bunch. After four days below the 70's, we'll pick back up with some slightly warmer weather for the weekend. The best part of it all is going to be the cooler evenings. It's time to start bringing out the big blankets.

My wife and I took advantage of the nice day on Sunday and went down to the Farmer's Market in downtown Dallas. After a bit of a drive through downtown and Deep Ellum, we finally located a set of signs that pointed us in the right direction. We did some lite produce shopping and picked up our vegetables for the week. We also got a ghost pumpkin to make pumpkin pie with. I had never seen a white pumpkin before, but these are supposed to be a sweeter variety and that seemed like it would work well for a pie.

20 October 2007

Don't forget your pumpkin pie. This weekend we have them on sale for $16.99 (regularly $21.99). Come in early to make sure that you can get one.

The blogger pot grows to 14 today. Don't forget to tell us the elevated amount to claim your full prize.

Well, we were just to busy this morning to get anything other than the basics done for the blog entry. But, I had a fun evening last night that I wanted to share. The Mrs. and I went to a Blue Green Properties sales presentation last night where we were pitched a time share offer. I know that this is probably not an idea of fun for most people, but I like new experiences. Also, I like to watch other sales people at work.

We were presented with an interesting offer by a very good sales person. Nevertheless, we withstood the temptation. We may examine it again in the future, but we are going to be responsible and save up for our house. For our time, we got a 50 Visa gift card, and 4 free plan tickets to any of 25 location spots.

19 October 2007

This weekend, we have a pumpkin pie special in the store. We will have a limited number of pumpkin pies available for $16.99 today, tomorrow, and Sunday. We will also have samples available to help get you in the holiday mood. If you would like a pumpkin pie, you can call us today at 972.644.2000 to place your order.

The winner of yesterday's blogger number didn't claim their prize, so the value of today's prize is 12 dollars.

Friday in the News: In 2005, a counterfeiting ring was apprehended in Gary, Indiana. The unusual thing about these hardened criminals was their age. They were all fourth graders. A cafeteria worker thought it was odd that a fourth-grader would pay for his lunch with a $20 dollar bill, and she also noticed that the texture of the paper wasn't right. Police arrested two 10-year-old boys and a 12-year-old girl. In all, police identified seven fake 20's, three 10's, one five, and four ones. (Brought to you by WWDTM daily calendar.)

Happy Birthday Wishes to John Arthur Lithgow. Mr. Lithgow has had a very successful film and television career as well as a great career on the stage and voice acting for several animated films. He is well known for his role as Dick Solomon on 3rd Rock from the Sun. Of course, who could forget his role in Harry and the Hendersons?

18 October 2007

The English Muffins, pita (both regular and whole wheat), and bagels have arrived. We have the following bagels available: Blueberry, Sweet Wheat, Cinnamon, Onion, White and the Perfect 10.

We got in our order from DaVinci Gourmet of the coffee syrups. I am glad to announce that they are now doing a wonderful new Pumpkin Pie flavor so that you can have a sugar free pumpkin spice latte that tastes like the regular sugared version from Starbucks. (Also, you save about 100 calories with this 0 calorie sweetener.) Additionally, we also got a new Peppermint flavor in stock for the holidays.

Speaking of the holidays, Thanksgiving is now only 5 weeks away. Don't forget to order your pies from Sugarless deLite. 972.644.2000.

We've gotten two winners in a row now for the tail end of 100 Days of Blogger. The prize resets again to 10 dollars for today's winner.

I found this article in the USA Today. If you've ever wondered if the politics in America are run by a small group of elite families, this might help answer your question. Barrack Obama and Vice President Dick Chaney are eighth cousins. This is kind of like the weird family ties that course throughout the European monarchies. I just thought it was kind of funny.

Thursday Comic: It might have to be published on Friday as Blogger is not allowing me to upload.

If I were to admit to an odd habit, of which I know I have several, I would say that trying to figure out labeling and packaging is one. I can't help it. I'm not sure if it is a by-product of almost 10 years in the food industry or if it is always something that I have done. I know that I have always been interested in how things work and how things can be improved and this quirk might just be an off shoot. As my wife can attest, this can sometimes (usually) result in longer trips to the grocery store.

Of course, this extends to when I get home from the store as well. Last night, I noticed something different about the ACT mouthwash when I opened it. The usage size, which you get by squeezing the bottle to the fill line, is almost double what was on the last bottle. While I was at the store purchasing the product, I noticed that they had a new version of the product called ACT 2X. This version you are supposed to use twice a day. This means that you will use twice as much in a bottle that is less that 200% bigger. It's funny to pay more to get less, but I guess most people don't look beyond the NEW that is plastered on the label. I'll take the old product and simply fill it up half way to the old mark. ;)

Healthy and sweet, you can appreciate a simple quality breakfast like fruit.You don't need to put a lot of processed junk in your body... you're happy with what nature provides.People have probably accused you of being a health nut, but you just like the best simple foods.You care about what you put in your body. And it shows!

16 October 2007

50% off all of the items on the sale rack. The sale rack has been moved to the lower back two shelves of the white rack near the middle of the store.

Today's blogger prize is worth 26 dollars. Don't forget to tell us how much you're claiming so that you can get your elevated prize.

Last night, the Colorado Rockies won their first National League pennant. This team is truly amazing. They won 13 of their last 14 games to win the right to a one game playoff for the NL wild-card. They won that game in extra innings and then preceded to sweep each of their first two playoff series. Is this a team of destiny? Who knows, but they sure are fun to watch. I just hope that their 8 game layoff between the NLCS and the World Series doesn't cool them off.

Over the last few days, I've been living the bachelor life with the wife away in New York. While it has been nice to have some down time with friends, I do look forward to having her back home tomorrow. One of the best things about cooler weather, aside from the electricity bill being lowered, is being able to snuggle up with a loved one. Besides, talking to the cat gets pretty old after a few days. :)

15 October 2007

Today, you can ship to any of the lower 48 states (UPS ground only) for $6.99. Come into the store and pick out your items, then let us ship for you for the lower rate.

Today's blogger prize is worth 24 dollars. Don't forget to tell us how much your claiming so that you can get your elevated prize.

I actually watched some football yesterday with my friends. The big game of undefeated teams left everyone feeling a little flat when the final whistle blew. I like the Cowboys, but I did predict this result. The Cowboys are good, but they are not that good yet. Still, it was a bit painful to watch them shoot themselves in the foot with penalty after penalty.

13 October 2007

Tonight we have buy one, get one free on our yogurt (limit one, no XL) from 6 PM to 8 PM.

Today's blogger prize is worth 22 dollars. Don't forget to tell us how much your claiming so that you can get your elevated prize.

Here is a good tip for everyone out there in the Richardson/Plano/Garland area: If you are looking for an honest and great auto mechanic, go to Gus' Auto Center (405 South Central Expressway Suite 116 Richardson, TX/972.235.1818). Apparently, I've blogged about him since my Google search turned up our blog as the tenth search result, but he's worth mentioning again. My family has been going to Gus for all of our auto needs for over 15 years now. It's hard to find an auto mechanic who will shoot straight with you. Gus does. I recommend him to everyone I know.

Thankfully, Rick was able to run me over to the auto shop yesterday after Gus had finished with the LeSaber. Also, a couple of my friends were kind enough to help me juggle my cars and get them home. This process included a brief stop at the Bavarian Grill. Commonly called the Grill among us, this German restaurant is another fine eatery to visit in the Dallas area. Located in Plano off of 75 and Parker in the Burlington Coat Factory shopping center, the Bavarian Grill has an expansive menu offering some excellent traditional German food. Additionally, they have a gorgeous selection of German biers, wines, and liquors. All of this, plus the live music, makes for a wonderful restaurant to sit down for a few hours and pass time with friends or family.

12 October 2007

Student Day! If you are a student at JJ Pearce, Trinity Christian Academy, Plano Senior High or other local area high school, you can come in today and get a free small yogurt.

Today's blogger prize is worth 20 dollars. Don't forget to tell us how much your claiming so that you can get your elevated prize.

After leaving the windows open until around 2 last night, the apartment got down to a nice 74 degrees. I was able to sleep with a blanket on last night. :) I'm one of those people that likes lots of cover, so I slept very well last night. I look forward to adding another blanket to the layers in the next month, but it looks like I'll have to be happy with the one for the next 10 days.

Friday in the News: Gore Wins Again! This one is for real. Al Gore has won the Nobel Peace Prize and is sharing the honor with the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. This marks the second big win for Gore this year when combined with his Oscar for An Inconvenient Truth. Congratulations.

Happy Birthday Wishes to Kirk Thomas Cameron. A heartthrob to millions of teenage girls in the 80's and early 90's, including my older sister, Kirk Cameron is best known for his role as Mike Seaver on the show Growing Pains. In his later career, he has focused on the Left Behind film series.

11 October 2007

Yogurt Cone Day! All yogurt cones are $1.85 all day long (regularly $2.72).

The English Muffins, pita (both regular and whole wheat), and bagels have arrived. We have the following bagels available: Blueberry, Sweet Wheat, Cinnamon, Onion, White and the Perfect 10.

We're going through another stretch without anyone claiming their prize, so the prize amount grows to 18 today.

I went home last night and patiently cooked dinner, cleaned the dishes, and got the luggage out for my wife's trip to New York. After the basic tasks were completed, I gave her a kiss and went off to download the new Radiohead album, In Rainbows. If you've been on the front page of MSN, Yahoo, AOL, or other big portals of the like, you've probably seen some news about the album. I'll skip over the technical complaints about compression size, because I don't have the expertise or the equipment to notice the difference. The album itself is really quite good.

It's hard to give an unbiased opinion on an album for which I've waited four years. The expectations can be too great. First impressions tend to be either on the side of euphoria or disillusion. Nevertheless, I've got two listens under the belt and am happy to say that Radiohead has done well. A band of this magnitude suffers from the crushing hopes of their collective fans and critics, but they have delivered a solid album with 10 wonderful songs. They are not all brilliant, and the album is not life changing like O.k. Computer. Yet, it is great to hear from Radiohead again, and the album has been well worth the wait.Download here.

10 October 2007

Teacher Day! All teachers can get a 99 cents small today by showing their school ID.

We got a massive order of Walden Farms in today. We are now restocked on all of the flavors of dressings, dips, Bar-BQ, and jams. We are also restocked on the GNU Flavor and Fiber bars (Banana Walnut, Chocolate, Cinnamon Raisin, Orange Cranberry).

No one claimed yesterday's blogger prize, so the pot grows today to 16 dollars.

The big news today on the home front is Radiohead's release of their new album In Rainbows. I ordered my box set last night, which prompted a call from early this morning from my bank to make sure that I had made an overseas purchase. I am very excited to go home this evening, download the album and give it a listen. If you want to check out the new album, you can go to the link above and download it for the cheap cost of name your price. You set the market price.

09 October 2007

Yogurt Flavors: Chocolate Decadence, World Class Vanilla, Chocolate Raspberry, French Vanilla, Marshmallow, and New York Cheesecake.

Yogurt Club Bonus Day! If you are a yogurt club member, come in today and get a small for only 45 cents or get 2 dollars off of any other yogurt size.

The blogger pot is up to 14 dollars today. Don't forget to claim your elevated prize if you are today's winner.

While I was on Bankrate.com yesterday, I found an interesting article that explains something about which, I would venture, the average consumer knows little. The article explains the unseen cost of credit/debit card purchases to the merchants and, in the long run, to the consumers. Can you use a debit card to buy a car?

Well, the Yankees are out of the playoff picture. I missed calling one round of the playoff, but I never counted on such a wonderful collapse from the Yankee's offenses. (I'm getting ready for some big changes from both the St. Louis Cardinals and the NY Yankees.) Predictions for round two:

Boston Red Sox v. Cleveland Indians: Indians in 6

Arizona Diamondbacks v. Colorado Rockies: Arizona in 7

Finally, it looks like we are starting to see the first appearance of Autumn. The big rain yesterday brought us in a stretch of cooler weather. While 85 is still above average, it is a lot better than the 90's. Hopefully, we have seen the last of the 90's for this year.

08 October 2007

Yogurt Flavors: Chocolate Decadence, World Class Vanilla, Chocolate Raspberry, French Vanilla, Marshmallow, and New York Cheesecake.

Today, you can ship to any of the lower 48 states (UPS ground only) for $6.99. Come into the store and pick out your items, then let us ship for you for the lower rate.

The blogger prize is worth 12 dollars today. (Please remember to tell us the elevated amount to claim the bigger prize.)

In our brief 36 hour round trip to Austin, we managed to spend a little over 6 hours on the road, eat out 3 times, hang out for a couple of hours with a few friends, go to one outdoor concert, and use only one tank of gas. We filled up right next to our house when we left Dallas and returned to the same gas station to fill up again when we got home. Average gas millage = 38.7 mpg

The concert was of course the main reason for the trip to Austin. Rilo Kiley has quite a rabid fan base comprised mainly of mid teens and early 20's and slanting toward the female demographic. Outside of the humid heat, the concert was pretty good. It is the second time that I have seen them, and I do think that the smaller venue plus the headline position helped them greatly. Personally, I think that I like the lead singer's solo work more, but I can't deny that the crowd enthusiasm for Rilo Kiley was a fun thing to see.

It was a crazy weekend in college football. I'm getting to the point where I'm almost just pulling numbers out of a hat to vote. My 25.

06 October 2007

Yogurt Flavors: Chocolate Decadence, World Class Vanilla, Chocolate Malt, French Vanilla, Marshmallow, and New York Cheesecake.

Creme Pies are $14.99 both today and tomorrow! (Regularly $19.99)

We had a winner yesterday. The blogger prize resets to 10 dollars today.

One of the most fun things that I have found in the 7 months of being married is the silly late night conversations. They are the ones that stem from one funny comment that then takes on a life of its own. Last night, we had one that started from a combination of my ailing shoulder and her upcoming trip to NY city. The following is a paraphrased and slightly abridged conversation:

Me: If my shoulder still hurts next week, then I will go to the doctor.

Wife: So you're going to go on Monday?

Me: No, I said next week meaning Thursday or Friday after you've left for NY.

Wife: What if you find out that it's cancer and you've only got four days to live. I would feel guilty that I left you to go to NY for vacation. (My own form of hypochondriacism is to initially think that everything is cancer. The thought typically last for a few minutes. Then, I move on to more reasonable illnesses.)

Me: I would leave you a note saying that you shouldn't feel guilty. No one ever sees the onset of rotator cuff cancer. In fact, the doctors themselves would say that this is the first case of RCC that they have ever seen and that the progression was faster then they could ever imagine. Just dumb luck...there is noting you can do.

Wife: What heroic thing would you do with only four days left to live?

Me: I wouldn't do anything heroic. I would just take off work and play video games.

Wife: What?

Me: If I'm going to be the first ever death from rotator cuff cancer then I think that's a big enough thing on which to go out. At that point I would just want to relax and enjoy the final days. On the upside, I might be able to convince them to name the disease after me. That would be a fairly good legacy. Man, people would hate having to call it the Farquharson disease.

Wife: That's O.k. Gerhig can be a tricky name too. Besides, I'm pretty sure that you're not going to die from RCC.

Me: You're probably right. But, it would be kind of cool in a weird sort of way.

After this bizarre yet humorous conversation, we went to sleep so that we could be well rested for our trip to Austin this afternoon. The great thing about our trip is that they have stopped construction on 35 this weekend because of the traffic from the Texas-OU game. Also, we will be traveling opposite of the traffic. Were heading down to see Rilo Kiley on Sunday night at Stubbs. It should make for a pretty good show, but I am really just as excited about stopping in West for my Koloches. :)

05 October 2007

Creme Pie Weekend! All of our creme pies are on sale for $14.99 (regularly $19.99) for the weekend. If you know what type you would like, call us at 972.644.2000 and place an order for tomorrow or Sunday. We would love to make one just for you.

What's new? We got the order in from Dixie Diner yesterday and are now restocked on all of the products except the banana nut cake and banana nut muffins which should arrive next week. In addition to restocking all of the old favorites such as the Skinni Spaghetti, we also got in 5 new products.

Two new granola options: Maple Oat and Apple Cinnamon (Good to snack on or use as a breakfast cereal.)

Two new snacks: Maple Pecan and Almond Toffee (These are like popcorn rolled in caramel and toffee with nuts.)

One new chip: Cinnamon Sugar Pita Chip (Yummy!)

All of these products are great options for low carb lifestyles. The Skinni Spaghetti is also a wonderful 2 point option for Weight Watchers®.

We didn't have the blogger number redeemed yesterday. The prize today is 12 dollars.

It seems that I have temporally lost the Page a Day calendar, so we won't have Friday in the News today. However, we do have a return of the Friday birthday celebration.

Happy Birthday Wishes to Richard Francis Gordon, Jr. Mr. Gordon is a retired NASA astronaut who piloted the Gemini 11 space capsule. He also flew as the pilot for Apollo 12. He was slated to walk on the moon for Apollo 15, but the program was canceled before he flew. So close.

04 October 2007

Cone Day! Try one of our fantastic yogurt cones for only $1.85 (regularly $2.72). Each cone is only 2 points for Weight Watchers®.

The English Muffins, pita (both regular and whole wheat), and bagels have arrived. We have the following bagels available: Blueberry, Sweet Wheat, Cinnamon, Onion, White and the Perfect 10.

We also got in our shipment of Dixie Diner. I'll have more on the new items in tomorrow's blog entry.

We had a winner! The prize for today's blogger number resets to 10 dollars.

I can't go through the baseball post season without making my playoff predictions. Here are my first round picks:

ALDS:

NY Yankees v Cleveland Indians: Yankees in 5

Boston Red Sox v Anaheim Angels: Red Sox in 4

NLDS:

Colorado Rockies v Philadelphia Phillies: Rockies in 4

Arizona Diamondbacks v Chicago Cubs: Diamondbacks in 5

These were my picks before they started play yesterday. The pick for the Rockies is an exception. After seeing the results of the game and realizing that they were still hot, I flip flopped. Good thing I waited until today to post.

03 October 2007

Tonight, we have our yogurt buy one, get one free from 6 PM to 8 PM (limit one, excludes XL).

The winning number is worth 28 dollars today. Somebody is going to get some good stuff out of this win. (Remember that you must tell us the current number to redeem the elevated amount.)

The weather is starting to depress me. It's just too warm for this time of year. I'm ready for some cooler weather to come our way. There aren't too many things that get me down, but the weather is certainly one of them. While rainy days might do it for some, it is the warm or hot weather that does it to me. More to the point, the warm or hot weather during the traditional fall and winter months. A quick look at the 10 day forecast tells me that I've got at least another week or two to deal. I'll try and make it trough.

The good part of the rain this morning was the chance that it gave us to place our final orders for Christmas. If you haven't counted yet, Christmas is only 83 days away. If you haven't seen any decorations going up around town, give it a couple of weeks. It just seems to be earlier and earlier every year. Thankfully, we have taken a stand at Sugarless deLite: No Christmas until after Halloween. The traditionalist in me wants to wait until Thanksgiving, but the business man realizes the reason why other businesses put Christmas up even sooner than the end of October.

02 October 2007

The winning number is worth 26 dollars today. The last two times that the multiplier has gotten to 26, someone has claimed it. Good Luck! (Remember that you must tell us the current number to redeem the elevated amount.)

Yesterday, I had a wonderful surprise awaiting me in my Hotmail inbox:

I have been waiting for Radiohead's new album for several years now. It came as bit of a shock since I was expecting this closer to Christmas time. The coolest thing about this announcement is the distribution. Everyone can digitally download the new album on October the 10th, 2007. Moreover, everyone can name their own price for the download. They also have a wonderful box set with a bunch of goodies for sale that will be shipped in time for Christmas. Next year, they will have a traditional CD released to record stores.

I've already got my plan of attack: Order the box set (bye, bye Wii fund), download the new album on the 10th (included in the box set price) so that I will have something to listen to until my box set arrives, finally get a copy when it comes to the stores next year. I'm a bit of a Radiohead fanatic.

Even if you are not a fan, I would recommend going over to the website and checking out the album. This might be the start of a brave new world that sees artists actually have control over what they make again without the suits running them down.

01 October 2007

Today, you can ship to any of the lower 48 states (UPS ground only) for $6.99. Come into the store and pick out your items, then let us ship for you.

The winning number is worth 24 dollars today. (Remember that you must tell us the current number to redeem the elevated amount.)

October Calendar: (click to enlarge)

Want a break on orders through our website this month? Enter the code PUMPKIN31 for $5 off any order of $55 (excluding tax and shipping).

It turned out to be a very busy weekend for me and my wife. We went out for a date night on Saturday downtown. After we got back, I went out with a couple of my friends to see the Buffy musical episode at the Inwood Theater. After getting some much needed rest on Sunday, my wife and I went to Trinity Hall with our friends to once again try our hand at trivia night.

Over the course of a grueling three hours, our team managed stay in the running. Going into the final round, we were only two points out of first. In the final round, each question is worth 2 points and this can make or break a team. The end of the last round found us in a tie for first. Third place and forth place were also tied at the end of the final round. All four teams sent a representative up to the front for a one question tie breaker. We were fortunate to get the right question and captured a first place victory.

It was a true team win. Everyone contributed, and I don't even think that we would have come in for a third or fourth place finish if we didn't have everyone present. It really is amazing the grouping of knowledge that you can gather by getting eight people together. I'm looking forward to spending the 25 dollar first place prize next time we show for trivia.

Undefeated and victorious.

Other winners this week: Germany won the 2007 Women's World Cup (The USA team finished with the Bronze), the Cowboys and Packers are both 4-0 to start the season (Brett Farve is now the all time leader in NFL touchdowns), and the Phillies. Bonus baseball today to find out who wins the the NL wildcard: The Rockies or the Padres.

Not only was there a crazy weekend in baseball, but there was also a big shake up in college football this weekend. My teams took some big hits. My 25.